FINANCE BOARD TRIMS $122,848 FROM BUDGET PLAN

After more than three hours of public comment and deliberations, the finance board slashed another $122,848 from the proposed budget Friday night.

The move marked the board's latest attempt to end the town's long budget impasse.

Townspeople have defeated six proposed spending plans since May 31, leaving the town without a budget more than a month into the new fiscal year. In the most recent referendum Tuesday, voters also indicated that both the proposed school and general government budgets were too high.

The budget proposal defeated Tuesday, about $20.33 million, would have increased real estate property taxes by about 1.8 percent.

But, he added, "You have to respond to the majority of those willing to vote."

Finance board member Barry Gray said he interpreted the results of the advisory questions as a mandate for further cuts. "I think enough cuts have been made," Gray said. "But we have to carry out the will of the majority."

But Alice Clack, a former selectwoman, cautioned the finance board not to conclude that the response to the advisory questions reflected an overwhelming mandate for further cuts.

There were two advisory questions, one on general spending and the other on the school budget.

The cuts ordered Friday reduce the proposed budget to about $20.2 million. Under the revised budget proposal, virtually any increase in real estate property taxes would result from the phased-in property revaluation, not from increased spending, Flynn said.

This is the final year of a five-year, phased-in property tax revaluation, in which assessments have been rising gradually over that period to 70 percent of fair market value.

Among the cuts ordered was an additional $47,000 from the $12.3 million school budget. The school board is expected to decide Monday night where in its budget to make that cut.

Other cuts ordered by the finance board Friday were $35,000 from upgrading the public works garage and $40,848 from that department's operating budget.

The board considered eliminating curbside leaf collection and yard waste pickup, which would have saved about $43,000, but decided against that.

Before ordering the cuts, the finance board set aside time for public comment.

Some people asked the finance board to cut the budget further, saying that the town cannot afford a spending increase and that many people have gone though tough economic times. But others questioned how the town could maintain services and its quality of life with even deeper budget cuts.